Combined article of furniture and bed



Oct 1965 E. BERMAN 3,212,108

COMBINED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE AND BED Filed June 7, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 19, 1955 Filed June 7, 1962 E. BERMAN COMBINED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE AND BED 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 dwin Ber-man INVENTOR.

18 BY fl fw W Oct. 19, 1965 E. BERMAN COMBINED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE AND BED 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 7, 1962 Edwin Berman INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,212,108 COMBINED ARTKCLE 0F FURNITURE AND RED Edwin Berman, Troutdale, 0reg., assignor of one-half to Walter Stelfan and one-half to Room-A-Rama, Inc.,

Portland, Greg, a corporation of Oregon Filed June 7, 1962, Ser. No. 200,710 4 Claims. (Cl. 29)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a combined article of furniture and bed.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a combined article of furniture and bed having improved means facilitating conversion from such article of furniture to a bed or vice versa.

Another object is to provide an article of the type described which is compact in structure, light in weight, and easily moved or otherwise handled and therefore readily applicable for use in limited dimension areas.

Another object is to provide a combined article of furniture and bed which provides for increased storage area of bedding interiorly thereof.

Still another object is to provide such an article which in folded condition provides a comfortable seat for occupants and one wherein the weight of the occupants does not bear on bedding folded inside the article.

Further objects are to provide a combined article of furniture and bed which employ novel latching means for holding a bedspring portion thereof in a retracted position and which has novel support means for supporting the bedspring in an extended position.

Briefly stated, the present invention is embodied in structure employing a supporting frame, an articulated bedspring structure, and track means on the supporting frame for extensibly receiving the bedspring. The track means comprise upper and lower portions wherein sections of the articulated spring when folded are supported in spaced relation to provide an area for storing bedding therebetween. The upper supported section of the bedspring forms a seat for occupants and since this section is supported in track means, the weight of the occupants sitting on the article bears on the track means and not on bedding folded inside the article. The lower track portion has an auxiliary track section leading downwardly and rearwardly in which a portion of the articulated bedspring is directed downwardly to provide for increased bedding storage area. Novel latch means are employed for maintaining the bedspring in folded and unfolded positions.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accom panying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the present article of furniture and bed in unfolded position;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views taken on the lines 22 and 3-3 of FIG. 1, respectively, these two views in combination showing the bedspring in full longitudinal section;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing the bedspring in an intermediate position of folding; and

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view showing the bedspring fully folded.

The present article of furniture may be in the form of a davenport or the like or if desired may be in the form of a chair. In either case, it comprises an open front supporting frame including spaced side frame portions which have upper and lower horizontal frame members 12 and 14, respectively. Side frame portions 10 are connected by rear frame members 16, bottom frame members 18, and an intermediate frame member 20. In

a preferred construction, side boards 22 are employed which are anchored to rearwardly inclined frame members 24 secured between the intermediate frame member 20 and a top plate 26. This frame is suitably upholstered, but for purpose of clarity the upholstery is omitted herein.

Securely fixed to upper and lower frame members 12 and 14 are upper and lower tracks 30 and 32, respectively. The upper track 30 is straight in configuration and has an inwardly and upwardly turned roller supporting and confining lip 34 and an upper inwardly turned right angle flange 36 which terminates short of the front end of the track.

Lower track 32 has a main portion 40 which is substantially parallel with track 30 but in addition has an upwardly curved rear portion 42. Associated with track 32 is an auxiliary track 44 which leads from a point adjacent the front of track 32. The forward end 46 of track 44 is curved downwardly and rearwardly and the remainder of the track substantially parallel with the track portion 40.

Each of tracks 32 and 44 has an inwardly and downwardly turned roller confining lip 50 at the upper portion thereof and a roller supporting flange 52 at the lower portion thereof. The juncture of track 44 with track 32 is a short distance back from the front edge of the latter to provide an end track portion 54 provided with a transverse rib 55. A vertically disposed stop pin 56 is secured in a vertical position centrally through track portion 40, this pin being positioned'adjacent the rear area of intersection of track portion 44 with track portion 40.

The bed portion of the present article of furniture is in the form of an articulated bedspring 57 best seen in FIG. 1 wherein it is fully extended in a position parallel with the floor. Bedspring 57 is formed of four sections 58, 60, 62 and 64.

Section 58 has a plurality of side frame plates 66, exemplified as three in number, hingedly connected by laterally disposed hinges 68 wherein this section is flexible and therefore capable of being supported in curved track portion 42. Mounted at the hinge portions 68 and at the rearwardmost end of section 58 are rollers 70 operable in portions 40 and 42 of lower track 32. Hingedly mounted at the rear portion of section 58 by means of hinges 72 is a transverse headboard 74.

Spring section 60 has side frame members 76 integrally connected transversely by a rear frame member 78 and a forward frame member 80. The side frame members 76 are pivotally connected to the section 58 of the spring by hinges 82, and integrally connected to the forward transverse frame member 80 are caster units 84, best shown in FIGS. 3-5. Mounted at the hinge joints 82 are rollers 86 which cooperate with rollers 70 to support these sections on the frame.

Spring section 62 has side frame members 88 pivotally connected to section 60 by hinges 90. Secured to the side frame members 62 by means of spacer blocks 92 and parallel to the members 88 is a front plate 94, this plate serving in a folded position of the bedspring as a front cover plate for the article of furniture.

Section 64 has side frame members 96 and these members are pivotally connected to section 62 by hinges 98. The front end of section 64 has a tranverse frame member 1100 and this section carries side rollers 102 at such front end which as will be seen hereinafter are engageable with upper tracks 30 in a partially folded and fully folded position of the bedspring. Each of rollers 70, 86, and 102 is supported on the end of a shaft 104 which is of a length to space the rollers a short distance beyond the lateral confines of their respective sections in order to permit free extension and retraction of the sections in the supporting frame.

A front leg assembly is supported on the section 64 and comprises sets of legs 106 and 1118 at each side, best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Legs 106 are secured to a torsion bar 110 extending between side frame members 96 and rotationally supported therein, and legs 108 are pivotally connected to their respective side members by pins 111. Each pair of legs 196 and 108 on adjacent sides is interconnected through the medium of a lever arm 112 forming an integral extension of leg 1&8 at its pivot end and a link 114 pivotally connected to the outer end of lever 112 and to leg 1% at a point adjacent the outer end of the latter. By means of the leg structure described and the linkage connection therebetween as well as the torsion bar connection between opposite legs 106, the latter will operate in unison, whereby upon rotating one of the legs 106 or 108 to either an extended or retracted relation, the others will rotate in a similar relationship. More particularly, the legs are movable between an extended position as in FIG. 3 and a retracted position as in FIG. 5 and by means of the connecting structure therebetween it is apparent that upon rotation of one of the legs 106, 168 in the direction of the associated arrows in FIG. 4, for example, which is a retracting movement, the other of the legs will be pivoted inwardly. The leg assemblies are rotatable to a position wherein all of the leg mechanism is disposed in a plane below the upper edge-- of the spring section 64. To rotate the leg assembly to extended position, it is only necessary to grasp one of the legs and pivot it outwardly to its right angle projected position.

Located at the inner ends of each of opposed upper tracks 30 and opposed lower track portions 44 are latch means 120, FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, of similar construction. Each of latch means 120 has a pivoted latch finger 122 provided with a forward rounded cam edge 124 and rear notch 126 whereby when the shafts 164 of the rearwardmost wheels 86 of section 60 and wheels 102 of section 64 engage the cam edge the latch finger lifts and receives such shaft in the notch. Release of the latches 120 is accomplished through the medium of pairs of bell crank levers 130 on each side of the frame. The upper pair of levers 130 are integrally connected together by a transverse torsion bar 131 pivotally supported in side boards 22 and the lower pair of levers 130 are pivotally supported on the lower frame members 14. The levers 130 on adjacent sides are connected together by a rod 132 and are connected to their respective latches by cable means 134. Bell crank levers 130 are operated by a pull chain 136 connected to one of the levers and slidably disposed in a hollow insert 138, FIG. 5, secured in the upper transverse frame member 16. Pull chain 136 has an end finger engaging ring 140 for easy manipulation by the operator.

Each of the bedspring sections 58, 60, 62, and 64 has upper spring suspended slats 144 on which a mattress is adapted to be supported, the mattress being of a type which is readily foldable.

The operation of the present mechanism will now be described, reference first being had to the fully open position shown both in FIG. 1 and in the combined views of FIGS. 2 and 3. In this extended position, the wheels 70 are disposed in the horizontal portion of track 32 and the wheel 86 is supported on section 54. The forwardmost wheels 70 in the extended position of the spring are in abutment with stop pin 56 to limit outward movement of the spring, it being preferred to provide a stop pin 56 in each of the opposed tracks 32. Also, in this position of the spring, wheels 86 are on the forward side of ribs 55 to prevent unintentional retracting movement of the spring. In this opened out or unfolded condition, support for the spring, other than at the frame is accomplished by casters 84 and the legs 106, 108, and it is thus apparent that floor support is provided adjacent each pivoted or articulated portion of the bedspring.

To fold the spring, together with a mattress which may be supported thereon, sections 62 and 64 are pivoted upwardly and rearwardly to a position wherein the latter section is parallel with section 6% and the section 62 is in a vertical position, this partially folded position being shown in FIG. 4. The relationship of the parts is such that upon folding of the spring into the partially folded position just described, the rollers 102 drop into track 30, the foreshortencd upper flange portion 36 allowing such manner of engagement of the wheels in the track. Thereupon the legs 1%, 198 are folded by manually moving one of them toward the other and rotating the assembly an amount sufiicient to dispose such assembly below the upper edge of section 64. Thereupon, the partially folded spring is then pushed bodily toward the supporting frame, the initial force required to move the spring being suilicient to roll the rollers 86 over the ribs 55. The outer end of the partially folded structure is at all times fioor supported by casters 84. Rollers 102 move rearwardly in tracks 30 and the rollers 70 move rearwardly in the main portion 40 of track 32 and upwardly into rear portion 42. However, the rollers 86 upon clearing the ribs 55 drop into the auxiliary track portion 44 and this serves to pull the forward end of section 60 downwardly, as apparent in FIG. 5, to increase the space between the upper edge of section 60 and the lower edge of section 64 to provide increased storage space.

Upon moving the spring to a fully folded position of the bed the shafts 104 of wheels 102 and rearwardrnost wheels 70 lift the latch fingers and engage in rear notches to be securely locked in place.

In the folded position of the bedspring plate 94- is vertically disposed and forms a front cover plate for the article of furniture. This plate may be suitably upholstered. A seat cushion is placed on the section 64 in the folded position of the article.

When it is desired to unfold the article, levers are operated by pulling on chain 136 to release the latch fingers 122 whereupon the spring can be rolled straight out and then unfolded in the reverse sequence of the folding operation described above. When the latches 122 are released by operation of levers 130, the unit will, due to the height position of section 58 in curved track portion 42, roll out a portion of the way by gravity and thus be self-opening for a part of the way.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, a mechanism is provided for a combined article of furniture and bed which is extremely light in weight and compact in structure, and which is easily extended or retracted to provide minimum effort in folding and unfolding operations. Furthermore, by the arrangement provided section 64 is securely supported at each end in the tracks 30 whereby the weight of the occupants is borne fully thereon and not on any bedding which may be folded interiorly of the unit. Furthermore, no frame members or the like are disposed in a position to produce discomfort to the occupants either while in a sitting or lying position.

The auxiliary track portions in directing the forward end of section 60 downwardly provides additional space for bedding inside the unit. This is particularly useful since pillows, in the sleeping position of the occupants, ordinarily are located on section 64 and when folded up with the rest of the bedding occupy the enlarged space resulting from use of the auxiliary track 44.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A combined article of furniture and bed, comprising (a) a supporting frame having an open front,

(b) upper track means on the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the front thereof,

(0) lower track means on the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the front thereof, the lower track means including an auxiliary track section disposed below it and communicating therewith adjacent the front of the frame,

((1) a bed spring having rearward and front sections,

the rearward section including front and rear portions interconnected pivotally,

(e) pivot means interconnecting the rearward and front sections of the bed spring for folding the front section over the rearward section,

(f) supporting means on the rearward bed spring section mounted on the lower track means for guided movement along the latter between rearwardly retracted and forwardly extended positions of the rearward bed spring section,

(g) supporting means on the front bed spring section arranged for removable mounting on the upper track means when the front section is in said folded condition for guided movement of said front section between rearwardly retracted and forwardly extended positions, and

(h) supporting means on the rearward bed spring section positioned thereon to be forward of the auxiliary track section when the bed spring is in extended position and to enter and move rearward along the auxiliary track section during retraction of the bed spring.

2. A combined article of furniture and bed, comprising (a) a supporting frame having an open front,

(b) upper track means on the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the front thereof,

(0) lower track means on the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the front thereof and curving upwardly at its rearward portion behind the upper track means, the lower track means including an auxiliary track section disposed below it and communicating therewith adjacent the front of the frame,

((1) a bed spring having rearward, intermediate and front sections, the rearward section including front and rear portions interconnected pivotally,

(e) pivot means interconnecting the rearward, intermediate and front sections of the bed spring for folding the front section over the rearward section with the intermediate section spacing said rearward and front sections apart vertically,

(f) supporting means on the rearward bed spring section mounted on the lower track means for guided movement along the latter between a forwardly extended position of the rearward bed spring section and a rearwardly retracted position in which a portion of the rearward bed spring section is supported in an upwardly extending position adjacent the curved rearward portion of the lower track means,

(g) supporting means on the front bed spring section arranged for removable mounting on the upper track means when the front section is in said folded condition for guided movement of said front section between rearwardly retracted and forwardly extended positions, and

(h) supporting means on the rearward bed spring section positioned thereon to be forward of the auxiliary track section when the bed spring is in extended position and to enter and move rearward along the auxiliary track section during retraction of the bed spring.

3. A combined article of furniture and bed, comprising (a) a supporting frame having an open front,

(b) upper track means on the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the front thereof,

(c) lower track means on the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the front thereof and curving upwardly at its rearward portion behind the upper track means, the lower track means including an auxiliary track section disposed below it and communicating therewith adjacent the front of the frame,

(d) a bed spring having rearward and front sections,

the rearward section including front and rear portions interconnected pivotally,

(e) pivot means interconnecting the rearward and front section of the bed spring for folding the front section over the rearward section,

(f) supporting roller means on the rearward bed spring section mounted on the lower track means for guided movement along the latter between a forwardly extended position of the rearward bed spring section and a rearwardly retracted position in which a portion of the rearward bed spring section is supported in an upwardly extended position adjacent the curved rearward portion of the lower track means,

(g) supporting roller means on the front bed spring section arranged for removable mounting on the upper track means when the front section is in said folded condition for guided movement of said front section between rearwardly retracted and forwardly extended positions,

(h) releasable latch means operatively engaging the bed spring and frame when the bed spring is in retracted position,

(i) latch control means operable to release the latch means and allow the bed spring to move by gravity toward said forwardly extended position, and

(j) supporting roller means on the rearward bed spring section positioned thereon to be forward of the auxiliary track section when the bed spring is in extended position and to enter and move rearward along the auxiliary track section during retraction of the bed spring.

4. A combined article of furniture and bed, comprising (a) a supporting frame having an open front,

(b) upper track means on the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the front thereof,

(c) lower track means on the frame extending rearwardly from adjacent the front thereof and curving upwardly at its rearward portion behind the upper track means,

(d) the lower track means including an auxiliary track section disposed below it and communicating therewith adjacent the front of the frame,

(e) a bed spring having rearward, intermediate and front sections,

(f) pivot means interconnecting the rearward, intermediate and front sections of the bed spring for folding the front section over the rearward section with the intermediate section spacing said rearward and front sections apart vertically,

(g) the rearward bed spring section including front and rear portions interconnected pivotally,

(h) supporting roller means on the rear portion of the rearward bed spring section mounted on the lower track means for guided movement along the latter between a forwardly extended position of the rearward bed spring section and a rearwardly retracted position in which a portion of the rearward bed spring section is supported in an upwardly extended position adjacent the curved rearward portion of the lower track means,

(i) supporting roller means on the rearward bed spring section positioned thereon to be forward of the auxiliary track section when the bed spring is in extended position and to enter and move rearward along the auxiliary track section during retraction of the bed spring,

(j) supporting roller means on the front bed spring section arranged for removable mounting on the upper track means when the front section is in said folded condition for guided movement of said front section between rearwardly retracted and forwardly extended positions,

(k) releasable latch means operatively engaging the 7 8 bed spring and frame when the bed spring is in re- 1,270,384 6/18 Davis 5-55 X tracted position, and 1,903,404 4/33 Abrams 5-55 X (l) latch control means operable to release the latch 1,976,753 10/34 Thomas 517 means and allow the bed spring to move by gravity 2,568,366 9/51 Rosen 518 toward said forwardly extended position. 5 2,628,367 2/53 Green 555 X 2,628,368 2/53 Gordon et a1 5-48 References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS I 334,468 3/21 Germany 1,049,772 1/13 Shumsky 5-48 X 10 338,868 11/30 Great Britain. 1,095,465 5/14 Morris 548 1,103,933 9 14 Freedman et 1 5 17 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

4. A COMBINED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE AND BED, COMRPRISING (A) A SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING AN OPEN FRONT, (B) UPPER TRACK MEANS ON THE FRAME EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM ADJACENT THE FRONT THEREOF, (C) LOWER TRACK MEANS ON THE FRAME EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM ADJACENT THE FRONT THEREOF AND CURVING UPWARDLY AT ITS REARWARD PORTION BEHIND THE UPPER TRACK MEANS, (D) THE LOWER TRACK MEANS INCLUDING AN AUXILIARY TRACK SECTION DISPOSED BELOW IT AND COMMUNICATING THEREWITH ADJACENT THE FRONT OF THE FRAME, (E) A BED SPRING HAVING REARWARD, INTERMEDIATE AND FRONT SECTIONS, (F) PIVOT MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE REARWARD, INTERMEDIATE AND FRONT SECTIONS OF THE BED SPRING FOR FOLDING THE FRONT SECTION OVER THE REARWARD SECTION WITH THE INTERMEDIATE SECTION SPACING SAID REARWARD AND FRONT SECTIONS APART VERTICALLY, (G) THE REARWARD BED SPRING SECTION INCLUDING FRONT AND REAR PORTIONS INTERCONNECTED PIVOTALY, (H) SUPPORTING ROLLER MEANS ON THE REAR PORTION OF THE REARWARD BED SPRING SECTION MOUNTED ON THE LOWER TRACK MEANS FOR GUIDED MOVEMENT ALONG THE LATTER BETWEEN A FORWARDLY EXTENDED POSITION OF THE REARWARD BED SPRING AND A REARWARDLY RETRACTED 